Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Does Video Help SEO?

Does Video Help SEO?

At the core of every SEO strategy is content. Video is content too – and while 15 years ago it felt magical and complicated, today it’s one of the most powerful tools for climbing to the top of search results. In fact, video doesn’t just help SEO – it’s essential. If you’re in a competitive niche, you won’t stand a chance without it.

The good news? Most websites still underutilize video content. That means there’s a huge opportunity to stand out. Some people try it but get no results because they’re doing it wrong. Just adding a video for the sake of it won’t do you any favors. We’ve seen this firsthand in our work at our digital marketing agency in Calgary, Ab. Businesses that incorporate well-crafted video into their SEO strategy consistently outperform those that rely only on text, images or low-effort videos that lack strategy, engagement, and relevance – ultimately doing more harm than good.

1. Video Increases Time on Site

Google’s algorithms consider a wide range of behavioral signals. One of the most important is how long visitors stay on your site – known as dwell time. The longer they stick around, the more valuable your content appears to Google, and the better your chances of landing that #1 spot.

Video helps hold users’ attention. Even a short 1–2 minute clip can noticeably boost time on page – especially if the video:

  • Explains the topic clearly; 
  • Offers tips or how-tos; 
  • Includes interviews, reviews, or case studies. 

This tells search engines your content is engaging and worth ranking higher.

2. Video Strengthens Engagement Signals

In addition to time on site, Google looks at:

  • Bounce rate; 
  • Click-through rate (CTR); 
  • User interaction (scrolls, clicks, video plays). 

Video encourages interaction. People click play, rewind, share. All of that sends positive signals that help boost your rankings.

3. Video Appeals to Everyone

It’s true – different generations consume content in different ways. Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Y – everyone has their preferences. Some read, others watch. But overall, video dominates. For most audiences, especially in certain industries, video is the go-to format. And the most active online users today often prefer video over any other content type.

4. Video Improves Visibility in Search Results

Google frequently displays video snippets in search results, especially for educational or how-to queries. If your video is properly optimized, your site can get a featured snippet showing:

  • A thumbnail; 
  • Title; 
  • Timestamps; 
  • A short description. 

This boosts visibility in SERPs and increases click-through rates – especially on mobile.

5. YouTube Is the Second Largest Search Engine

YouTube is owned by Google, and its videos often rank highly for competitive keywords. That opens up a second SEO channel:

  • Upload an optimized video with a keyword-rich title, detailed description, and tags; 
  • Add a link to your website in the description; 
  • Embed the video into a blog post or page; 
  • Gain traffic from both Google and YouTube. 

It builds brand credibility and can even earn you natural backlinks.

6. Video Builds Trust and Increases Conversions

This may not seem directly related to SEO, but higher conversions improve your site’s overall performance. Video:

  • Humanizes your brand; 
  • Builds emotional connection; 
  • Makes complex topics easier to understand. 

This reduces resistance, builds trust, and ultimately improves behavioral signals. Let’s be honest – most people don’t trust anonymous text on a website. But when they see a real person, speaking genuinely, trust goes up dramatically.

7. Video Helps with Social Sharing and Link Building

A well-made video can go viral and attract natural backlinks. It spreads faster than articles. People love to share videos on social media, in group chats, on blogs, and forums.

That amplifies external signals – something Google takes into account when ranking websites.

How to Use Video Effectively for SEO

First and foremost, you need to figure out the right format for your video. Please – don’t just create a video to check off a box.

Picture this: you run a Lexus dealership and you ask a brand-new, nervous employee to memorize a script and say it in front of a camera. You throw an oversized suit jacket on the poor guy, and now he’s standing there, stiff as a board, mumbling through the lines in a shaky voice: “Come visit our dealership
 we’re the best.”

Now seriously – ask yourself, what real value does that video bring to your audience?

And don’t say that your niche “doesn’t work with video.” That’s just not true.

Take, for example, the American company DollarShaveClub.com. They’re a textbook case of how a single well-executed video can go viral almost instantly, generate millions in revenue, and even turn a startup into a major competitor to giants like Gillette.

Their entire launch was built around one video. Created by founder Michael Dubin and uploaded to YouTube in 2012, the video caused an explosion. Within the first 48 hours, their website was overwhelmed – over 12,000 orders came in. In fact, the site crashed within the first hour from the traffic spike. Friends and contractors were recruited on the fly to manually pack orders out of California.

The video didn’t just take off – it racked up tens of millions of views, surpassing 27 million by the end of 2022.

That viral launch attracted serious investor interest:

  • $1 million in seed funding (March 2012), 
  • $9.8 million in Series A (October 2012), 
  • Followed by even more funding rounds down the road. 

And the kicker? The whole thing was filmed in a single day, using no professional actors, with a production budget of just $4,500.

The video “Our Blades Are F***ing Great,” launched on March 6, 2012, became the central driver of Dollar Shave Club’s rapid growth. It proved that with a minimal budget, it’s possible to launch a powerful marketing campaign – short, bold, honest, and engaging. Within 48 hours, the company gained thousands of subscribers, and a few years later, it was acquired for $1 billion.

Go watch that video. Study it. Analyze it. No one’s saying you have to replicate that exact success and end up making a billion dollars. The point is to find your own format – a style and tone that fits your brand and truly connects with your audience.

Sometimes that can take a while. And that’s okay. It’s worth the effort.

Just don’t overthink it forever. Try things. Make mistakes. See how your audience reacts. Track engagement. Tweak the format. Optimize.

I shared the Dollar Shave Club story to prove that one simple video – made from nothing – can change everything. But that doesn’t mean you should sit around for years trying to dream up some once-in-a-lifetime idea.

You already have a product or service. Think: how can it genuinely help your audience? What makes it stand out? Take that angle – and build your video around it.

Practical Tips

✅ Optimize your video:

  • Include keywords in the title; 
  • Add your website link in the description; 
  • Use relevant tags and categories; 
  • Choose a strong thumbnail. 

✅ Embed videos on your website:

  • Place them near the top or middle of your article; 
  • Add captions, transcripts, or timestamps; 
  • Don’t hide the video in pop-ups or collapsible sections – it reduces its SEO impact. 

✅ Use Schema Markup (VideoObject):
 It helps search engines understand your video content and increases your chance of getting featured.

{

  “@context”: “https://schema.org”,

  “@type”: “VideoObject”,

  “name”: “How Video Helps SEO”,

  “description”: “Explaining how video content improves SEO and boosts website rankings.”,

  “thumbnailUrl”: “https://example.com/preview.jpg”,

  “uploadDate”: “2025-07-28”,

  “contentUrl”: “https://example.com/video”,

  “embedUrl”: “https://www.youtube.com/embed/123456”,

  “duration”: “PT2M30S”

}

Conclusion

Video isn’t just a nice addition to your text content. It’s a powerful SEO weapon that directly impacts:

  • User engagement signals; 
  • SERP visibility; 
  • Organic traffic; 
  • Conversions; 
  • Link building; 
  • And revenue. 

But like any tool, it has to be used strategically. At our Calgary SEO agency, we’ve seen how much of a game-changer even one good video can be – if it’s paired with the right strategy. A half-hearted video won’t move the needle. A well-thought-out, valuable, and optimized one can dramatically boost your site’s performance – and maybe even make you a billionaire:)

author avatar
Roman DakhnoSEO specialist
I am an SEO expert with 10+ years of experience in the field. For so much time I can say that SEO is magic. This science has become so deep that it seems that Google itself does not know what works and what does not. To comprehend this depth you need to understand the starting point and vector of search engines. Over the years, I think I’ve managed to gain that wisdom.
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